Loftin and Alexander Homer but Chasers Fall Again to Toledo

PAPILLION, NEB. ­­-- The Omaha Storm Chasers scored in five of nine innings on Thursday, but fell to the Toledo Mud Hens for the third straight game, 8-5 at Werner Park.

After Toledo scored a first inning run, third baseman Nick Loftin responded in the second inning with his second home run of the year, a solo shot to left-center that tied the score at 1-1.

While the Mud Hens took back the lead in the third inning with a grand slam, Omaha chipped away to get back into the game. Tyler Gentry brought home a run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third, then CJ Alexander hit his first Triple-A home run in the fourth inning, a solo shot to center field.

Tucker Bradley singled in Dairon Blanco in the bottom of the seventh to bring the score back within one, at the time 6-5. However, in the eighth, a two-run homer from Toledo’s Zack Short that put the Mud Hens back ahead by three runs, the 8-5 score that held to be final.

Gentry and Bradley each recorded two hits in the loss, with Bradley recording his first triple of the season in the third inning.

Jackson Kowar and Austin Cox covered the first five innings of the game on the mound, combining to allow six runs on five hits and six walks. Kowar was removed in the third inning, after walking the bases loaded with two outs but Cox surrendered the go-ahead grand slam, allowing another homer in the fourth.

Andres Nunez provided momentary relief behind Cox, as he threw 2.0 scoreless frames, working his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning, then retiring Toledo 1-2-3 in the seventh.

Josh Taylor allowed the eighth inning home run and Josh Staumont fired a scoreless ninth with a pair of strikeouts but Omaha went quietly in the bottom of the ninth to fall for the third straight game.

The Storm Chasers will again try to get into the win column Friday at 6:35 p.m. CT as Jonathan Heasley heads to the mound against the Mud Hens.